Chai-spiced Breakfast Muffins

I have a confession to make: I have not been eating properly. A slice or two of cake for breakfast, a few cups of tea, a hotdog for lunch… all a bit slap-dash and indulgent. As a singleton or even as a career gal, you might get away with it for a while, but as a breast-feeding mama it’s not good enough. Bubs is doing fine, but my health is suffering.

It only became apparent to me just recently whilst chatting with a friend. She had noticed how thin I was getting, and warned me that if I lose too much weight, my milk supply would dry up. I haven’t researched whether or not that’s true, but I’m not ready to wean bubs yet, so it was enough to scare me into reconsidering my diet.

Turns out it’s not hard to improve one’s nutrient intake. A boiled egg for morning snack, some tuna on a sandwich for lunch, some almonds in the afternoon… but it does take some planning. Hence the idea to make some muffins (big ones) and freeze them while still fresh so that they are handy to grab, zap and eat warm for breakfast.

I’m a bit partial to cake for breakfast, so these muffins are perfect. Bursting with natural sweetness, they are just about the most wonderful combination of chai-spiced, fruity, breakfast baked goodness you could hope to sink your teeth into! And if you need them to be totally guilt-free, try making them with whole wheat flour and half the sugar.

Method
Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Grease a 6-hole Texas muffin tin with non-stick spray and line with 20 x 20cm squares of baking paper {instructions here}. Lightly grease each paper. Don’t worry if they don’t sit right inside the muffin tins at first; they will once you put the batter in them!

Heat the milk in the microwave for 1 minute. Tear open the teabag and pour the contents into the hot milk. Allow to infuse for at least 5 minutes. Don’t strain the tea leaves from the milk. When cooled, dissolve in ¼ teaspoon baking soda.

In a medium bowl, hand whisk the oil, sugar and eggs. Add the mashed banana, cinnamon and milk, mixing well.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, and add the oats, apple, dried apricots and dried dates, stirring well. Make a well in the middle and pour in the wet ingredients. Fold in the wet and dry ingredients with a wooden spoon, until just combined. Do not over mix.

Completely fill each paper-lined muffin hole with batter. Sprinkle a few more oats on top to decorate. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Serve warm or cold. Keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Or freeze and re-heat for breakfast!